Gyms, marriage registration offices, fresh food markets, and even blood donation services are turning up inside metro stations across Chinese cities, with Guangzhou's latest experiment putting gyms inside metro stations.
The marriage registration office at Xingfuba Station on Metro Line 3 in Hefei opened in 2024. The office, whose name puns on the phrase "be happy", has witnessed the marriages of more than 5,700 couples in its first two years.
Beijing has taken the concept further by installing blood donation services inside metro stations, allowing commuters to donate blood on their way home.
Wuhan's Hongshan Square Station is now home to a fresh food market with 130 stalls, where commuters pick up dinner on their way off the platform.
Shenzhen has brought the idea to sports as well. Huangmugang Station houses a sports hall with ten badminton courts, a gym and a yoga studio, while at Gangxia North Station commuters can play badminton, pickleball, table tennis and billiards. Visitors simply book online, scan a QR code, and start playing.
The push underscores a broader shift in how Chinese cities view metro space: no longer only a corridor to move people, but a place to put people's actual needs first.
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